Myst – The Path to the Spiders' Nests

Written by Vetinari

I am in great difficulty when I have to write something about Myst for this blog, because, let's be honest, nothing much actually happens.

It would be much easier if I could, I don't know, just post some random screenshot and say "Here's another gorgeous view from this game".

Here's another gorgeous view from this game.

Anyway, we had to finish exploring the two buildings which we haven't entered yet, that is the power supply substation and the wood cabin and its environs.

Entering the former, we are treated to a long descent in the island underground, first through a brick wall section, then through what would seem like a natural cave, until we arrive at a door which opens on a generator room.

Industrial architecture at its finest.

Inside the room there is a panel with buttons and dials, and an helpful diagram which explains which is which.

Self explanatory.

By playing with the buttons, I can try to increase the amount of voltage to 59V, but, alas! the dial on the right suddenly goes down to zero when the voltage is too high, probably because something shorted on the transmission line.

Not good.

Thanks to my knowledge of electrical engineering, I follow the power cable outside the building and see that it goes up to a couple of pylons before arriving at the spaceship.

This should need some safety equipment for working at heights.

At the top of the pylons there are a couple of switches, which I reset. After doing that I check back on the generator room and it seems that the power line is fixed.

Much better.

Doing this allows me to open the spaceship hatch, inside of which I find... a pipe organ.

Typical spaceship equipment.

Having found inside one of the books the diagram with the notes to be played, I proceed to do so. But nothing happens. I then take a look at the operating console of the spaceship, and find out that there are exactly five sliders, and that when they are moved they reproduce exactly the available notes on the organ keyboard. With some trial and error, I manage to put all the sliders at the correct notes, and by doing this I activate the spaceship screen, on which another book is accessible.

This should be actually considered an e-book.

As I already said, before plunging into these other volumes, I want to finish the puzzles on this island, so I go to the dentist office rotunda and input the dates from the submerged ship hint to obtain three constellations.

Oh yes, the famous constellations of the lightbulb...

 ...plastic bag...

...and police badge.

This gives me the correct order to press three of the tiles in the columnade (i.e. leaf, snake and spider) which, as a result, makes the ship model rise from the fountain.

 Is there a moving pillar under that vessel or what?

As expected, also the ship at the dock has risen from the ocean waters.

Called it.

Inside the aft cabin of the ship, another book lies in wait.

Three down, one to go.

The last part of the island which I still haven't fully explored is the cabin in the woods. While proceeding there, I find some butterflies fluttering about on the path, a nice detail but with no real consequence.

In some screens you can also see some birds flying around far above.

Inside the cabin, I find what would seems to be a water heater, currently off.

And a picture of a big wooden pylon on the left, as a hint.

On the wall near the entrance door, there is a combination safe. Having found the related hint through the tower rotation, I enter 724 to open it.

I still say that it is an incredibly disappointing hint.

What incredible treasures we will find inside this contraption? The answer is: some matches.

Okay, matches are dangerous, but I don't think that health and safety protocols require them to be kept inside a strongbox.

I can take one of them (the mouse cursor changes accordingly) and strike it against the side of the matchbox to light it up. Then I proceed to light the pilot light of the water heater. When I turn the wheel on the right side of the heater, the flame burns and a big racket starts on the outside.

It's alive!

Checking on the right side of the cabin, it seems that the big fir tree that we saw from the tower is actually another mechanical contraption, and by activating the water heater it is rising up towards the sky.

So, it was actually not a big fir at all.

Getting underneath it, it seems that there is a receptacle carved into the tree, but by now it is too high up to do anything with it.

Really, how could I miss this thing when I arrived on the island?

When the tree has reached its maximum height, it stops moving. Obviously we need to get into that receptacle so the most intelligent course of action is to turn off the water heater (by rotating the cabin wheel on the other side) to see if the fir tree comes down.

That's exactly what happens, and when the receptacle comes at ground level, we see that it is an elevator.

Actually it seems more similar to a paternoster lift.

I waste no time in getting on board, and the elevator continues its descent until it comes to rest in a subterranean chamber between the roots of the tree.

Where does the electricity come from?

In the middle of the chamber there is another book, that, exactly as the others which came before it, I will not touch for now.

Isn't it inappropriate to put a book on top of a tree stump, since paper is usually made of wood pulp?

Luckily I am not stuck underneath this tree forever, since there is another wheel near the elevator which functions exactly the same as the one in the cabin, raising and lowering the elevator as needed.

Also a button inside the elevator to use if you get stuck on the top.

By this time I think I have managed to solve all of the puzzles on Myst island, apart from the pattern on the fireplace door, which I have still no idea how to tackle.

Next time we will see what will happen when we enter one of these four books scattered around the island, and where it will lead us to.

Session Time: 1 hour 00 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 40 minutes

Note Regarding Spoilers and Companion Assist Points: There’s a set of rules regarding spoilers and companion assist points. Please read it here before making any comments that could be considered a spoiler in any way. The short of it is that no points will be given for hints or spoilers given in advance of me requiring one. Please...try not to spoil any part of the game for me...unless I really obviously need the help...or I specifically request assistance. In this instance, I've not made any requests for assistance. Thanks!